Once Upon A Midnight Dreary

“So, I take it you won’t be here tomorrow then?”
You nodded to the acne-faced girl beside you from your desk. Renee was one of the first friends that you made after the blip. When you came back, and everything was explained to you in excruciating detail, you learned two of many things;

Your twin Paul had gotten what he wanted after you disappeared.

And all of your previous friends survived the blip, rendering you as the only sixteen year old while the rest were in their twenties.

You didn’t know what was worse, how easily your parents gave your near sixteen years of life work to someone who didn’t do a thing and let him take the credit, or the fact you were completely alone while it was happening. You had Charlie, yes but he was also a grown man. One that was even to be married soon.

You hadn’t even known he had a kid. Albeit; not his by blood, but still a kid nonetheless. Your baby brother grew up. And you missed it all. On top of the fact your life had pretty much been paused for five years, you were expected to go to school within the upcoming year. As if recovering from such detrimental news wasn’t enough you were also being forced to do something you would’ve much rather not done.

Considering that you don’t know where you’ll end up now it almost feels pointless to even try in school. You’ve been completely ignored by your parents, who surprisingly enough survived the blip. Paul was the one soaking up their attention now. Your mom didn’t fuss over your outfits anymore, which you enjoyed at first. You thrived in the newfound freedom you were suddenly given, you were no longer being watched like a hawk.

But you soon came to realize you weren’t even being watched. At all. At the beginning of the school year you slipped up on an English test, and scored a C. You were ready for a verbal beating from your parents upon getting home.
But there was nothing. No asking about test grades, no ‘Hello sweetheart how was your day today?’ , your father didn’t even look up from his phone as your mother rushed past you who held up a hand to wave.

You quickly came to realize that you were no longer their priority. No longer their golden child. And you found it insane how it’s been this way for five years. And the rational part of you said, ‘don’t hold it against them. You disappeared, and they needed someone to represent the company as an heir. It’s not Paul’s fault.’ It’s what you kept repeating to yourself whenever your parents would flat out ignore you for your male twin.

But you quickly learned that being Naive would only lead to your downfall, because before the first Christmas you’d be spending with your family since the blip, (really mainly Charlie considering he invited you to his vacation home in Sweden) Your brother Paul decided to actually speak with you for the first time since your sudden reappearance .

You hadn’t even said anything, simply staring at him while you packed a small carry-on.
“You’ve always been selfish.” He said. And that was what made you snap at him.

“How have I been selfish Paul? I spent all my life trying to be the perfect, Golden child and now you claim the title as if it’s rightfully yours!”

“I was the rightful heir!” He had suddenly boomed. Hair falling in front of his face with the force of the scream he gave, it was like a strike of lightning that made you jump.

“It has always been my right!” He nearly stomped his foot like a child throwing a tantrum. You scoffed.

“Oh, because you're what, a boy? Face it Paul, we may be twins but I was born first! without the work that I did, that I left, you wouldn’t know the first thing to do with fathers business! You're not an heir! You're nothing but a spoiled brat that’s claiming my hard work to be his.” You looked at him head on now. Not breaking eye contact and nearly chest-to-chest with him.

“Have fun figuring out what to do after you run out of what I left you.” And with that you left Paul fuming. You were called several times after that, it seemed the encounter had even rattled your parents. Seeing as your mom was calling you for the first time in forever. However you relented, simply throwing your phone into a drawer and enjoying the holidays with your brother and his family.

It was lonely at first, having to get used to the new world and everyone in it. Like your niece, Anna. She was born at the beginning of the blip, only five years old and extremely curious . You loved to help power her imagination. She definitely made an impression, and you're convinced that had you not ever met her you’d be stuck feeling just as lonely and confused as you did when you came back. You were grateful for Charlie and his family that helped you through it.

It’s what helped you make friends like Renee, and William who you nickname as Billy. The two were absolute nerds that were obsessed with your earth’s superheroes and every new animated show ever. They were definitely not your crowd, but at this point you’d settle for friendship with anyone at the private school you attend.

It was the same school you went to before, a school for either the gifted or the rich. At this point, you don’t know which one you are. It was annoying having to sit in a desk again and learn something you already knew but you won’t lie if you said you missed the routine. The first few months after the blip were insane, everything and everyone was everywhere. To be sitting in the cold chemistry classroom in your deep red blazer and black pleated skirt for the first time in years was a relief.

It’s oddly cold for a Thursday. You thought as you walked out of the school with Renee and Billy who were engaged in a conversation in front of you.

“Hey!” Renee called your name to attention, you looked at her from your place on the sidewalk, Billy had her in a playful headlock and she smiled through her straight black hair that was held back by a white headband. The look in her green eyes told you she had some kind of idea, and knowing Renee it probably wasn’t a good one.

“The museum is letting people in for free, we should go!” You quirked an eyebrow at that but nodded along anyway. Going home would’ve meant more time for your thoughts and as of late you found that to be unnerving.

As you predicted the museum was not letting people in for free. Billy and Renee pouted with disappointment when they realized the amount of money they both had wasn’t enough for the entrance fee. They were a part of the gifted. You silently handed the attendant a card your parents had gifted you for Christmas. You think their way of apologizing for giving your legacy to someone else is by constantly loading it with money.

You would’ve thought your two friends had been proposed with a brand new puppy the way they celebrated their entrance to the museum. Why they were so excited confused you, it was just a museum. Sure, it recorded the world's history but you never took an interest in it. Though, you suppose you’ve never taken an interest in anything. Maybe that’s why you were often lost in your thoughts, when your future had been written out for you, you were told there was no point in having dreams or passions. Your future had been decided. There was no changing it, until of course now.

Now you're left with no idea what to do next, you don’t enjoy your world's history like the history buffs who work here, you don’t dance like Renee, and you can’t play trumpet like Billy. So what was the point of even doing any of this when you truly do no good for the world? You contribute nothing. No talent. Nothing.

“Hey, you're staring off into space again!” A plush Lion found its way into your vision. The voice of it being forced as squeaky and high.

“Turn that frown upside down!!” It shrieked as whoever was controlling the thing made it nudge you in the face with its faux snout. You let out a chuckle which soon turned into a giggle once Renee finally revealed herself from behind one of the museum's pillars. She handed you the plush after you both finished your laughing fit.

“It’s Sekhmet.” Renee said, pointing at the lion plush now in your hands. You nodded along to her,

“Is that some kind of Goddess?” You asked. She nodded as you began walking to where Billy lay transfixed on a tiny model of the pyramid of Giza.

“I don’t actually know much about her, only that she’s some form of an Egyptian sun Goddess.” Now it was your turn to nod.
“She reminds me of you.” You snapped up at that,a look of confusion on your face.

“I remind you of a Lion?” You gave a nervous chuckle. Renee laughed in response, her purple braces poking out as she did.

“No, you remind me of the sun.” She flashes you one more toothy grin before running off to admire the mini pyramid of Giza with Billy. You looked down to the Lion goddess plush in your hands, there was what looked like a disc above her head, and the tiny dress she wore was red. It was cute. What Renee said was also cute, so you made your way to the gift shop's counter. Sekhmet in hand.

“Hello.” You gave a wry smile to the cashier. He was a mousy looking man, heavy eye bags were present on his person and it looked like he hadn’t even tried to comb his hair this morning. If you didn’t know any better you’d say he was probably in a rush this morning. He looked how Charlie did after new years, not having thought about the consequences of his actions until the morning after.

“Oh, that’s Sekhmet,” the man chuckled. Pointing at the plush before grabbing it.
“Goddess of War and Daughter of Ra. Strong character this one.” He laughed while scanning and wrapping the plush in the bag. You looked at him. One of his curly fringes obscured his eyes from yours. As if he was trying to hide.

You picked up your head,“You know about her?” You asked. “I mean I’ve never really been into Egyptian mythology or anything..” you laughed nervously. “My friend said I somehow remind her of…” you pointed at the plush, “her” you smiled. Hoping you didn’t look like a physcopath.

“You must be a good friend then.” The man said. You looked up to him, the same confused look you gave Renee back again as you cocked your head to the side.

“You think?” This time you gave a genuine laugh as the gift shop man nodded with one of the biggest smiles you’ve only ever seen on your two dorks for friends. It instantly made an actual real smile Grace your. Your eyes trailed to the shirt he wore, his name tag on the right side of his chest. This mousy looking man somehow managed to instantly bring up your mood.

“Thank you….Steven.” You leaned forward and squinted at his name tag. “With a V.” You think you caught him off guard, because he stammered out a ‘no problem’ quite nervously only after you began to walk away.

Renee and Billy treated you to a local ice cream vendor they’ve been wanting to show you before the three of you went your separate ways. You now found yourself in the empty mansion that you call home. Not a soul was around, you quickly made your way to your room. Every part of the house that wasn’t your room felt cursed. It felt like there was a demon in every corner of the house. Even as you climbed the stairs you felt if you weren’t fast enough you’d get caught.

After getting to your room you hastefully locked the door and turned your lamp on. The Sekhmet plush had fallen from the bag and on top of your bed as you crashed onto your blankets.

-
-
You swore that you only closed your eyes for a second, you meant to get up and change out of your school blazer and begin your chemistry homework. However when you opened your eyes you realized it was already night, the moon high in the sky by now.

You groaned at the sweaty feeling on your neck and back. It also felt like you had spent a week in the desert with no water. After getting up and taking a shower to scrub the moisture away you inched your way downstairs. You knew that the chances of running into anyone would be low considering you were almost always left alone, but the anxiety was still there nonetheless.

You tiptoed to the pantry and pulled out a bag of chips from the very back. Among many things that were controlled before the blip, your eating habits was one of them. It wasn’t until now that you’ve been allowed to eat whatever junk you please, you know it’ll be near to impossible to even get in trouble for it but you still felt the need to be sneaky. Just in case. You opened the back and took one before plopping it into your mouth.

“You call cheddar ruffles dinner?” You were so shocked by someone’s voice that the bag slipped from your hands and hit the ground, the near neon Orange chips spreading everywhere. You internally groaned knowing it’d be hell to try and find the very American chips again. You looked up at the annoying face you knew you’d be stuck with for the next couple weeks. This was your punishment for your stunt back in December.

He leaned over the counter. Hands clasped in front of him as he looked at you as if he was trying to read you. Something you’d been taught to never allow to happen.You made it a life goal to be anything but an open book. You stared at Paul. And he stared back, it stayed like that between you two for maybe a minute before he finally opened his mouth, blinking away from your staring contest. You won.

“Got your shit together?” You nodded and rasped out a small ‘yea’ before moving to a tiny closet in the kitchen to grab a dustpan and broom. The chips still scattered across the floor as Paul continued to talk.

“We’re leaving early tomorrow. Don’t make me wait.” He said as he finally began to make his exit. Your punishment for calling your adult twin a spoiled brat was to accompany him to his next business proposal. You swear he only suggested it to your parents so he could try and prove himself to you. To prove and rub your uselessness in your face. His way of saying ‘I’m the new king. Nothing can change that.’

You can only hope he would somehow get dethroned.

-
-

You're beginning to think that you would end up giving Paul the satisfaction of your despair. Here you are, stuck in in the alps, no wifi, and with your annoying twin brother. You should’ve known that this would sign your death. Even before the blip Paul had been extremely annoying, he was all acne faced then, and everytime he tried to complain about anything his voice would hit a strange pitch and crack. You giggled everytime it did and he would just get more angry in return.

However now you have no more small pleasantries of laughing at him whenever his voice cracked. Your twin brother was grown now, his voice dropped and he was no longer acne faced. However he’s still as much as a prick, or even more now that he’s an adult.

Your name was called to attention, and you turned to look at Paul. You were standing near a fountain, forced to stay by his side as he did whatever business your father put him up to.
“Why are we even here Paul?” You said with a sigh. “Who in all of Europe is enough to make you travel to the countryside for business ties?”

Paul glared at you. Silently judging you before finally opening his mouth for the first time this morning. “His name is Arthur Harrow. And he has connections with people all over the world.”

You scoffed. “As if fathers business isn’t the exact same?” Paul laughed in your face.

“My dear sister, in this game of chess we are the players.” He had walked in front of you now, his eyes leading to a man that you only just now noticed was approaching you two.

“Everyone else is just pawns.” You crossed your arms around the sun dress you wore.

“I take it you're playing for luck then?” You were aware that the question irked Paul, however as the man with the cane came closer he realized he didn’t have any time to scold you. You smiled as the man with the cane approached you two and made eye contact with you. You expect that Paul had already met him.

“My name is-“

“Arthur Harrow.” You finished for him. “My brother here won’t shut up about you.” You motioned towards Paul and shrugged with a smile. Your hands still wrapped around your torso. You hated touching people, any hand shake with any kind of person made you want to wipe your hands with a kleenex until the skin fell off.

Arthur had begun to offer his hand to you, however you hadn’t dare move your hands. You think the stare you gave him was enough because almost as soon as he began to reach his hand out he took it back. You told him your name, and why you were there.

“ ah, well feel free to venture around the community. I promise that none of us bite.” You smiled again. None of the smiles you were delivering were real, it was just a habit you created out of professionalism. Arthur smiled back before walking to meet your brother. You figured how wrong many of Paul’s mannerisms were. Even from afar it was easy to tell that there was only one thing he wanted. And that was a partnership with Arthur. You internally sighed.. Of course while having the intention was great, you also needed to make good friends with whatever partner you were trying to pair up with. Considering you might be with them for a while . They’ll know you, and your secrets. Any fuck up in the shadows on your part can result in both you and your companies demise should anyone blab. And they do. They definitely do.

Just one of the many things that had been drilled into your brain growing up. Oh well, it wasn’t your circus anymore. Therefore everything else wasn’t your monkeys.

Thank god.

-
-

The small community owned by Arthur Harrow was very quaint. It’s people were nice, and the children were lively. Throughout your stroll you had been invited to a number of hop-scotch or hide and seek games. You indulged them and played along as best as you could, even if it meant hiding behind a potted plant and claiming it was your best bet.

Even the teens your age were nice. You never liked Soccer that much but gave it a shot when the ball was kicked your way, they even invited you with them to have lunch together. To which you accepted, you found out the community was vegan. And despite the lack of meat in their food they still found a way to make it delicious. Hell, if you didn’t know any better you’d probably ask Paul if you could stay here forever. But, there was one problem.

A cult. The community was a cult. A religious one at that. You had only put the pieces together as you ate lunch with the group of kids that invited you with open arms. You noticed a tattoo on his arm. You were curious, considering you were all the same age so you asked about it. Only for all the other kids to show you their arms, the exact same tattoo on the exact same arm in the exact same place.

“It represents Ammit.”

“And who exactly is that?” You laughed nervously, suddenly feeling the food in your stomach churn.

“She is our Goddess. She is virtuous, and believes in cleansing the world of evil, before evil can happen.” The way the blonde haired boy said it freaked you out.

“W-what do you mean by ‘cleansing the world’ , and-and how does she even do it??” You’re getting nervous now, you began to stutter with each word that left your mouth. You haven’t done that since you were in grade school.

“With the scales of Justice of course.” His too blue eyes stared into yours.

You opened your mouth to question just what the hell he meant, but you were cut short by the familiar sound of a cane against the ground coming up from behind you. You instantly felt your shoulders tense upon his wrinkly hand meeting your bare shoulder. You regret having worn this stupid spaghetti strap dress. You swore you’d shop for a new wardrobe in the new year, but simply never found the time.

“Enjoying ourselves?” Arthur asked with a smile towards you and the group of kids you sat with. The blonde boy, the one with the blue eyes that creeped you out turned around fully in his chair, he said your name while pointing at you

“We wanted to show her the scales of Justice! but we all know you're the only one capable of judgment.” Arthur looked at you. You shrunk in your seat.

“Do you want to have your scales read?” He asked in a tone that you recognized to be belittling . Had this been Paul you would’ve scoffed. The blonde boy turned to you,

“Of course she does, you do want your scales judged don’t you?” You were frozen in time. You would’ve thought you had experienced nearly everything there is to experience, especially considering you were surrounded by adults for most of your life. But that was just it, you had only ever been with adults. You had never actually hung out with people you age, or even gone to a party. You knew of peer pressure, what teenager didn’t? But you always told Yourself that you weren’t naive enough for it to happen. That you could simply say no and that would be that.

So why couldn’t you just say no now? Their eyes we’re all on you. Nearly two pairs of blue eyes burned into your being. You swallowed a lump that you didn’t even know you had before nodding warily. Harrow nodded before grabbing his cane, you hadn’t even noticed the single crocodile head on its side.

“Do you accept your scales, regardless of the outcome?” The old man asked, in all truth you didn’t even know what he meant. What was this judgment even for? All you knew was that you were afraid if you didn’t accept they’d kill you and put you in their next ‘vegan’ soup.

Maybe that’s why it tastes so good.

Harrow led your wrists forward before placing his cane between his arms.he gripped your wrists and brought them towards himself. The ache in your stomach increased and you could suddenly hear your heartbeat in your ears. You felt like you were gonna throw up. It was then that the scale tattoo on Harrow’s arm began to move, and that’s when you realized that you actually did need to throw up. Even as the scale began to tilt to the right, it even looked like it nearly began to turn red. You pulled away instantly, the soup on your stomach begging to me let out as you ran outside with a hand over your mouth.

You hadn’t dare look back, simply shoving yourself into an alley that faced an open field before expelling everything in your guts out. You had never thrown up out of fear before, only having ever done it when you were sick. But it was right now that you decided throwing up out of fear had to be one of the worst kinds of throwing up.

You gave a loud groan in frustration as you tried to move a few stray strands of hair in your face, your other hand on your knee. What the fuck? What the fuck?? Why was Paul making a deal with a cult? And why did said cult have powers? You lived in a world where superheroes , magic, and aliens existed, of course it wasn’t hard to believe that those tattoos on Harrow's arm were real. But the question was why? Why does a seemingly humble cult leader have such power?

And just what was he planning on doing with it?